Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 015, folder 44: Lawrence Christian Leever

7th US Nav Bch Btn Easy Green LEEVER, Lawrence Christian Ariz 1

Box 15, #44

6th Engr. Spec. Brig. 7th USN Beach Bn Omaha Easy Green 0800

[*ARIZONA N--I [crossed out](telephone)[end crossed out] Phoenix, ARIZ 1 LL*]

For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day

THOUSANDS OF MEN, ON LAND AND SEA AND IN THE AIR, PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF NORMANDY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT JUNE 5, 1944 AND MIDNIGHT JUNE 6, 1944. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

What is your full name? Lawrence Christian Leever

What was your unit and division? 7th U.S. Naval Beach Battalion attached to the 6th Engineer Special Brigade

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Easy Green Beach, Omaha Beach, - about 8 a.m. June 6, 1944

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Commander USNR

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 44

Were you married at that time? Yes

What is your wife's name? Edna M. Leever

Did you have any children at that time? Yes

What do you do now? Chief Deputy Director, Maricopa County - City of Phoenix Civil Defense, Phoenix, Arizona

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? January 1944

What was the trip like during the crossing of the Channel? Do you remember, for example, any conversations you had or how you passed the time? It was uneventful, several of us turned in and went to sleep and arose early in the morning. We arose at daybreak and were approaching the beach about 15 miles away.

What were the rumors on board the boat, ship or plane in which you made the crossing? (Some people remember scuttlebut to the effect that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in). We heard that rumour also that maybe paratroopers would be used by the Germans. We had previously had our uniforms soaked in a gas repellant substance, and was carrying a gas mask and naturally expected a gas attack.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Lawrence C. Leever

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No diary was kept for that day as we were ordered not to keep a diary.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Yes.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? Yes, I conversed with LT. Col. Clark G-2 on Gen. Hoge's staff as he was walking by my location. I do not recall the names of others that I conversed with.

Were you wounded? No.

Do you remember what it was like--that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were you so surprised that you felt nothing?

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? Yes, in leaving the landing ship and dashing to the beach, I lost my carbine and although I had a pistol and knife, I kept worrying about the loss of this gun, when later on there were many around that had been dropped by dead men.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? While sitting next to my radio on the beach, One of my trucks came in through the water and the driver raised the hood im- mediately on getting to the beach, and at that time a 44 milometer shell sailed over our heads hitting the engine and the driver. This driver had been one of my chauffers while in England

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Lawrence C. Leever

[*Paul Thompson*] In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliance; others do incredibly stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either? Soon after landing Colonel Thompson, commanding officer of the 6th Engineer Special Brigade, left me at one of my beach installations and proceeded along the beach for a short distance. We were all being shot at and he emptied his pistol at the Germans on the hill and received in return a shot through the mouth. It was a daring move for him to make. He survived. My executive officer, Lt. Commander Southward, hit the beach at about the same time I did on another LCI, his ship was hit while they were attempting to land and he was wounded. The next day I visited him at the hospital ship off the beach, and all he could say was "he let me down", he also survived and later acted as my executive officer at the landing at Okinawa, April 1, 1945.

We refer you to page 79 of the document put out by the historical division, War Department, entitled OMAHA BEACHHEAD dated 20, September 1945. This gives some idea of what my 7th Naval Beach Batallion, that I commanded, encountered that morning.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? Asleep on an LCI crossing the channel.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? Crouched in a trench on Easy Green Beach. This trench had been dug by the Germans a few days prior to our landing, but it served as a place to get into during the night, with nothing but the sky above.

Do you know of anybody else who landed within those 24 hours (midnight June 5 to midnight June 6) as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took part in the air and sea operations, whom we should write to? I will send a separate letter on this.

PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE YOUR STORY ON SEPARATE SHEETS IF WE HAVE NOT LEFT SUFFICIENT ROOM. FULL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN IN A CHAPTER CALLED "WHERE THEY ARE NOW; YOUR NAME AND VOCATION OR OCCUPATION WILL BE LISTED.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

Cornelius Ryan

Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest

COPY

In the name of the President of the United States, it gives me great pleasure to award this Silver Star Medal to:

Commander Lawrence C. Leever, D-V(G), United States Naval Reserve.

CITATION

"For conspicuous bravery under fire, resource- fulness, and sound judgement in the performance of outstand- ing services, both in the preparation for and execution of the amphibious assault on the coast of France, June 6, 1944, in which he acted as Commander of the Seventh Beach Battalion.

Commander Leever landed with the Beach Battalion at the first stage of the assault when the fighting was most severe. Through his leadership and courage he was able to organize a fluid situation, and imposed an effective order on the beaches under his command at an early hour. His courage during the assault was equaled by his tireless and steadfast devotion to duty in maintaining an efficient traffic to and from the beach.

His meritorious performance of an essential task contributed materially to the success of t he operation, and reflected great credit on himself and the United States naval service."

(Signed) Harold R. Stark

HAROLD R. STARK, Admiral, U.S. Navy, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces in Europe.